Right now, I like that my blog is a way to record what I’ve been reading without feeling the pressure of having to post a review for a deadline.

A year from now, I’d like to see my reviews be more concise. I want to be able to tell my reader why I loved (or didn’t love) a book and what made it read-worthy. Maybe come up with a review system. Maybe.

In honor of BBAW, I decided to participate in the blogger interview swaps. So…without further ado I’d like to introduce you to Gina of Book Dragon’s Lair. Gina’s started book blogging this last year, loves a challenge, and can’t name just one favorite book.

And I love her tagline, “because a book is a treasure worth protecting.”

Meet Gina of Book Dragon Lair

How’d you come up with the name Book Dragon’s Lair?
Well, there was this book…. Actually, that’s true, I read A Book Dragon by Donn Kushner. The dragon becomes smaller and smaller when he stops eating and ends up protecting a Book of Hours through the ages. When he ends up in modern day America he protects his friends and their stores (one is a bookstore) from an evil developer. Hence, “a book dragon, because books are a treasure worth protecting.” Maybe not to the extreme the little dragon went to but still.

What have you enjoyed the most about book blogging?

The people. And then the challenges. If I hadn’t joined one challenge that led to others, I wouldn’t have met such wonderful people.

What was your first reading memory?

Oh, man, I must be old. I can remember High School but not before that. One memory is I had just bought two Dick Francis novels and started one before going to bed, you know, that just-a-couple-of-chapters thing. I finished it, checked the time (too late to sleep), and started in on the other. I ended up staying awake the whole night finishing both books and still made it to school the next day. um… still do that once in a while

I know you said you can’t pick just one favorite book, so what are/would be your top 5?

Five books? Are you sure you don’t mean authors? 😉 I tend to think in “recent reads” rather then “of all time” so I’m always going “I love that book” when I hear about an old favorite. Let’s see….

First Test (and the series) by Tamora Pierce
Hazard by Jo Beverley
Fanuilh (and the series) by Daniel Hood
Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
Whip Hand by Dick Francis
Sigh, just five? Are you sure? I’ve got a couple more…

Which book challenge has been your favorite (so far) this year?

What an Animal II. It has been fun picking out the books for it and I discovered a new author. Then again, there are a couple of romance challenges that were fun and the Christmas in July Challenge but that one I hosted so I don’t know if it counts, same with the Cat Sleuth Challenge, then there’s the Confuzzled Faerie Challenge, and the New to You Authors challenge, … Did you see how many challenges I joined? You want me to pick a favorite? I found a new one to join while looking up stuff for the interview!

Do you have a favorite genre to review, if so what?

They’re all hard. I tend to want to tell you about the whole book instead of just enough.

What author would you love to meet?

I went to a book signing for Stephanie Laurens, I think she’d be a fun dinner guest. I’d like to go to the home of Anne McCaffrey & visit. Oh, and Elizabeth Lowell and Debbie Macomber and…. Can I just have a party and invite them all? I could do an open house for all the authors who are on my shelves then they could sign the books while they’re here. Maybe they’ll bring friends so I could meet new authors. Want to come?

What book would you love to curl up with today?

I just bought Melting Stones. It was a near thing with Rampart. Melting Stones doesn’t really fit with any of my current challenges but I’ve got to read it right now anyways.

Is there any book you’re eagerly anticipating?

Right now it’s Robert Jordan’s The Gathering Storm except I’ll have to wait for the next two in the trilogy before the series is complete and I can read the whole series from start to finish.

Also, Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough have a co-authored book coming out in January: Catalyst. Christine Feehan’s Dark Slayer; the next book in the Magic Circle series by Tamora Pierce after Melting Stones; and what ever books Elizabeth Lowell, Stephanie Laurens and Lilian Jackson Braun publish next. I’d add Dick Francis but his book came out this month and I’ve already got it.

Favorite book blogs:
Here’s just a few. With all the links between blogs, I’m always finding a new “favorite”.
J.Kaye’s Book Blog
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Lost in Books
Naked without Books
All about {n}
Everything distills into Reading

If you wrote a book what would it be about?

Romance. Maybe with a twist.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Reading addict, semi-social hermit. See, I have a hard time limiting myself!

There are so many book blogs out there it’s quite insane! I know I’ll never be able to read them all and I’m sure I’ll find a few more I’ll add to my Google Reader this week too. But for now, I’ll share the book blogs I regularly visit:

Reading to KnowCarrie’s one of the contributors of 5 Minutes for Books and is a huge fan of L.M. Montgomery, whom I have never read. I tried reading the Anne series in 5th or 6th grade, but was overwhelmed by the length so I just watched the movies. 🙂 Maybe one day I’ll try again.

StackedHonestly, I don’t remember how I first found Stacked, but I’m pretty sure the banner picture is what kept me there. What I enjoy about Stacked is you won’t just find book reviews, but “the experience of a book” and they’ll often share other book related things like art exhibits, movie adaptations, and experiences books have lead them to try.

Across the Page You’ll find Janet, a homeschooling mom with a doctorate in English, who has a lot of great book reviews, a list of 25 reasons to read, and celebrates “the connections between writers and readers that happen across the page.”

The Bluestocking Society After coming across this blog, I’m on a mission to find some bluestockings and maybe even wear them! Definition of a bluestocking: woman with considerable scholarly, literary, or intellectual ability or interest. Jessica not only reviews books, but she’s also the founder of the Book Blog Guild.

Charlotte’s Web of Books Lots of books. Lots of reviews. Every Tuesday she posts what books are newly released for the week. She’s convinced me to add two books to my pile: The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Opposite of Love. I know, I know…I’m like the only book blogger who hasn’t read The Time Traveler’s Wife, but I’ve finally been convinced and now I just have to get a copy or wait on one from the library.

A Library is a Hospital of the Mind What I love about Sarah’s blog is that it’s like going into an old bookstore and finding some great treasure with yellowed pages and soft pencil scribbles on the jacket. Lately, she’s been posting a lot about the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. I had never heard of either before coming across them on her blog! She’s also a big fan of Frances Hodgson Burnett and recommends The Making of a Marchioness, which has been added to my TBR pile.

There’s so much going on this week in relation to BBAW it’s crazy. First, I just want to say thanks to Amy for coming up with this idea and putting it all together. I know we’ll enjoy it.

Now in its second year, BBAW happens every September and seeks to “spotlights and celebrates the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities” (for more info click here). There’s daily blogging topics you can join in with the celebration too. Amy’s got a bit of preview for some more things going on at her blog too. It’s going to be a great way to meet new bloggers and had new titles to your nightstand. I’m sure I will!

Now…on to the giveaway!

When Mercury is in retrograde, the only guarantee is anything that can go wrong, will.

Penelope Mercury, an intrepid reporter at the New York Telegraph, has pounded the pavement for five years from city borough to borough, carrying out her boss’s eccentric orders to break stories that seem inconsequential to everyone but him. Finally, she is inches away from being promoted to her dream job — covering courtroom drama for the paper — but after one spectacularly disastrous day, she is fired instead.

Lena “Lipstick Carcrash” Lipp encrass has a pretty fabulous life, even by a socialite’s standards, as a top editor at the high fashion magazine Y. Long lunches with her girlfriends and afternoons spent shopping at Bergdorf’s are all in a day’s work. But when Lena’s always indulgent parents abruptly cut off her cash flow and kick her out of her beloved West Village duplex for refusing to work for the family business, she is forced to confront the reality of what it takes to pay the bills.

Dana Gluck, a workaholic lawyer, had been married for two years to a man who was perfect on paper but increasingly critical in reality. She hoped that her dreams of motherhood would be fulfilled soon, which surely would also fix their marriage problems. Instead, her husband leaves her for an exchange student/model who, to make matters worse, promptly gets pregnant.

When fate conspires to have these three very different women move into the same SoHo apartment building, they soon discover that having their carefully planned lives fall to pieces might be the best thing that could have ever happened to them. (Publisher’s description)

To enter this giveaway by:

Leaving a comment with your favorite chick lit book (or if you’re not a fan of chick lit, then your favorite book). Leave your e-mail address (ie, mountainsofbooks (@) gmail (dot) com, so I can contact you if you win.

Twitter me @MountainsofBooks Enter me to win Mercury in Retrograde.

I’ll randomly draw a winner on Saturday, September 19th. I’ll contact the winner through e-mail or direct message (via Twitter). Good luck!Don’t forget to stop by the BBAW giveaway page and enjoy!